Summer 08 Renaissance Art

APEH SUMMER 08 ASSIGNMENT #2 – RENAISSANCE ART

The art of the Renaissance has left an indelible impression upon Western society and its values. For many, the art of this time period is the most important contribution of the Renaissance. The artists of the Renaissance set the standards for style, skill, and achievement by which all later artists have been measured. Their contributions are so great that we sometimes forget that like artists of any time, they merely recorded and reflected the world in which they lived. Like artists of any period, they distinguished themselves by expressing the feelings of others in ways and with skills that only a talented few are able to do.

DIRECTIONS: Choose any four examples of Renaissance art. At least one of your examples must be either a work of sculpture or an example of architecture. (You may not choose four examples from the same medium – you must have at least two different mediums; i.e. painting and sculpture.) All of the works selected in the same medium (i.e., painting, sculpture, architecture, engraving, or woodcut) must be from different artists. So, for example, you cannot do two paintings by Raphael.

You must then write at least one page (typed, double-spaced, half inch margins, and size 10 font) about each of the works that includes the following information:

• Identify each work you select by artist and title. When was the work completed? Where?
• Describe the work. What is it about? For example, if the painting is of a person, who was he or she? Tell something about the person (if anything is known.) If it is a Biblical story, what is the story and how has the artist interpreted it? If it describes an historical event, describe the event.
• Describe any historical background information relevant to the creation or interpretation of the painting. Why was this work created? For whom?
• Describe how each work can be identified as a work of the Renaissance by the techniques used by the artist. Discuss especially the "isms" – humanism, individualism, secularism – that are particular to the Renaissance.
• Describe and discuss the values expressed by the artist that serve to demonstrate the work is from the Renaissance. How can each work be identified with the Renaissance? How is it an example of Renaissance art?
• Describe how each work is a reflection of the time period.

Your paper must be at least four pages in length (one page for each artwork), typed, double-spaced, one half inch margins, and size 10 font. You do not need to include a copy of the artworks, (although you may if you wish, but it must be a good reproduction – and the space it takes does not count towards the one page of writing) but you must, in a bibliography, state where you found each one.

To view works of art from the Renaissance, I recommend these sources:

Mark Harden’s The Artchive: http://artchive.com/ftp_site.htm
Web Museum: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/
Art History Resources on the Web: http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHrenaissanceitaly.html
Unit 1 Syllabus Gallery: http://www.rbvhs.org/teachers/roswell/apeuro/unit1/unit_1.htm#Gallery

Additional Art History sites can be found on this page: http://roadrunner-apeh.wikispaces.com/RESOURCES
(some sites are duplicates of the above)

This project is due the first day of class. Place it in the same report folder as your Sophie’s World assignment. Make sure your summer work report folder has a title page.